


we can be defined by the things we want (i'll be a life full of free haircuts from the one that i love)

by mandxlorian



Series: writing songs about the sun [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, M/M, Multi, also everyone smokes weed, bc she deserves it :), cursing? idk if that bothers you??, first fic posted on here lmao, he is also slightly and asshole very sorry?, might b very MILDY spicy..., rated m for recreational drug usage and swearing, sokka plays the bass as any bisexual should, tagging is hard???, they r in their 20s and living the band life, very short angst bc idk how to write it well, zuko is a sweetie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:20:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25616500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandxlorian/pseuds/mandxlorian
Summary: Sokka knew the lead singer of the  Fire Flakes was someone to stay away from. If only he wasn’t so damn charming.(or Sokka tries to hate the cute guy in his ‘rival’ band)
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Azula/Suki (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: writing songs about the sun [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1856827
Comments: 1
Kudos: 42





	we can be defined by the things we want (i'll be a life full of free haircuts from the one that i love)

**Author's Note:**

> little note! i made playlists for both the bands and do have lyrics to some of the songs in the chapter! i will put the songs up here if you wanna listen! 
> 
> fire flakes!  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/32EFUoeoAdk4lDqL7XUHI2?si=e7RcPDHGT3e_MrbuSqadIg
> 
> back around!
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0DAB9M2p0GiBG3QA4ezM4D?si=4ZAy4_0FSoq2kXb9e4FoVA
> 
> also this is my first avatar fic! so if someone seems out of character it’s just bc i cannot write ✨ thank u to my friend who got most of this paragraph by paragraph...i’m so sorry! 
> 
> (not edited 100% sorry again!)
> 
> songs used:  
> title is from wonderfully bizzare by bendigo fletcher  
> fuckmylife666 - against me!  
> let’s talk about your hair - have mercy  
> i’ll follow you in the dark - death cab for cutie

Since Sokka was 16 he knew he had wanted to be a musician. It didn't matter how that dream would come into reality but he knew that the jazz lessons he took in middle school sparked something in his heart. Learning the bass became a part of him that kept his head above the water of highschool, keeping him from hitting rock bottom before his midterms and gave him plenty of girls' numbers. 

By the time he was a junior, Katara had already been playing the guitar for three years and knew some kids in her World History class that played some instruments. 

These kids ended up being Aang, a small 16 year old kid with a buzzcut and a hidden passion for the synth, and Toph, a blind 15 and a half year old that could beat anyone in marching band to a drum battle. As the years went by the four of them eventually stopped with the jam sessions and started to muddle together original songs, Sokka being the one who put the arrangements of all their ideas together to form an actually listenable song. 

It has been years since the band had started, Sokka being on the edge of 23 and the rest of them just under 21. The group had played a few gigs around town but somehow always managed to have a spot at the local bar, The Coffin Dance. It may have been owned by a grouchy old man who used to be a farmer before pursuing the heroic deed of owning a seedy bar in the middle of lower ring Ba Sing Sei. He hated the Back Around, more specifically he hated Aang. The clumsy kid never knew how but every show ended with him breaking something backstage. The bartender that worked most nights however, loved the band. She loved the entire group and usually gave them at least one free drink. (Even if Aang and Katara insisted they shouldn’t go behind Mr. Lau)

The only other problem of playing at The Coffin Dance is the Fire Flakes. A group of off brand punk kids who really grind Sokkka’s gears. Especially the lead singer. With his long hair and scrawny frame… His, admittedly, very badass dragon tattoo circling around one of his shoulders and framing itself against his neck. His even more badass scar that makes the shorter man the most intimidating person in the venue. 

Even if he is one of the hottest people Sokka has ever had the pleasure in seeing, he is an asshole.

The times they have bumped into each other either at the bar or backstage the dark haired singer made sure to bump into Sokka’s shoulder, maybe even purposely touch his hand across one of Sokka’s exposed arms in the most aggravating way. At the bar he would sit as close to Sokka without sitting in his lap, and then have the audacity to order a fucking shirley temple with an inhumane amount of vodka in it. 

“Are you drinking anything?”

Fuck, of course his voice is just as raspy offstage.

Sokka clears his throat, turning in the dimly lit bar to see the man's almost fluorescent golden eyes shining from the lights of the stage. 

“I was.” 

He tries to keep it short, he tries to tell the guy to fuck off with as little words as possible. He doesn’t try to stop himself from looking at his eyes a little longer, noticing how his eyelashes frame one of his eyes in such a delicate way that Sokka can’t help but stare a little.

“Could I buy you another?” The singer smiled, almost miniscule but Sokka could see the way his good eye moved. 

“I probably shouldn’t drink anymore, gotta be good for my set.” Sokka made sure he sounded bored, he might have been battling with his morals over this minor hang up of the lead singer sitting next to him, he doesn’t even know his name, much less does he want to. 

“I’m Zuko by the way, I’ve seen you around here a few times, but never really said anything, You’re in the Back Around, right?” His, Zuko's,raspy voice cracked as he spoke faster, almost rushed. “You guys really know how to get the crowd invested…”

Sokka felt sick, knowing his name? Knowing how his unscathed eye moves when he smiles? How the long bangs in front of his eyebrow seem to bother him sometimes? I can not handle another minute of this guy.

“Thanks. Zumo, was it? Uh, I appreciate the compliment but I can’t really say the same for your band.” Sokka took notes of the arch in Zuko's eyebrow, how his golden eyes stopped shining as he cocked his head. “ I was never really a fan of emo stuff, ya know? Needed something with a bit more life in it.” 

Zuko’s confusion coasted on the brink of anger just long enough for the opening band's last song to ring out for a few more seconds. He reached for his drink and quickly swallowed the last half, feeling the aggressive burn of the cheap vodka overpower the extra cherry juice he always asks Suki to add. He cleared his throat before looking the man down one more time, the black tank top cut around the sleeves so low his sides were exposed, a large tribal tattoo covering the mass of his bicep and his silver ear piercings that the light struck in such a way they seemed to glow. Finally, he looked at the other man's eyes, the first thing he really noticed when he had seen Sokka walking around the bar. The once deep,bright blue that drew him in was now an icy color, sending Zuko the very clear signal to fuck off.

“Didn’t peg you for that type of guy, guess I was wrong.” He looked back at Sokka, who was fiddling with the edge of a napkin placed under his finished drink. “ Nice to finally meet you, jackass.’”

Sokka didn’t have enough time to think before Toph came bustling through the ever moving crowd of people. 

“Excuse me! Blind girl coming through! Sokka! We are on in five!”

Her glossed over eyes stared off into the grimy looking floor about five feet from the stool Sokka sat, thinking about how he really dodged a bullet on that Zuko character. He got up to help the short girl standing still a few steps away, not that she needed it.

“ Let's get this shit started.”

_________

As soon as they stepped on the stage the bright lights blinded Sokka to a point that he came in a beat late in their first song, Katara picked up on his mistake and made the intro another second longer to fix his misstep. As she strummed the opening rift, Aang yelled excitedly into his mic, the crowd gave a decent cheer.

The ease of your pose, the grace of your silhouette  
The way that your shoulders meet your slender neck  
Where would we be without the distance?  
You know I’m already just a skeleton.

Sokka strummed the beat as the chorus rang through the small venue. He let his eyes travel around the dimly lit crowd and fall upon a familiar scrawny guy sitting in the same seat at the bar. The scarred side of his face turned towards the stage. Even from here he could see the tapping of his shoes on the always sticky floor.

I don’t have the heart to match the one pricked into your finger  
Of things made to be destroyed  
All moments meant to pass

The song seemed to rush to an end, just for Katara to come right in with the deep strum of the next song. Toph putting her all into each beat that she made, Aang kept up with the guitar well for someone who had only really just learned. 

Sokka made sure to keep his eyes on the people actively enjoying their set, the small bundle of people at the barrier bumping and jumping along to the song. The few regulars to their shows sang along, getting louder when Sokka basically screamed the chorus into the mic. 

But I know that you know that I don’t really care  
Let’s talk about your hair and how it’s grown

Even with his eyes glued onto the crowd Zuko still stood out. Now standing towards the edge of the small crowd, the stage lights flickering through his irises. The rest of their set felt like seconds, Sokka blinked and was helping Toph pack her kit away. As he finished up a tall girl sighed, tapping her foot impatiently as they snapped the last case shut.

“Are we bothering you?” Sokka asked standing and wiping the dirt from his knee.

“Just you.” Her voice was rough, not in the way Zuko’s was, hers was… uninterested. Completely void of any indication of what she was meaning. “I would like to be able to put our set up… idiot.”

The dark haired girl was soon joined by the rest of the band, the shortest one walked to stand next to the first girl, her pink shirt standing out against the other two walking behind her. Zuko caught Sokka’s eye, but Zuko simply looked away and whispered something to the last girl. Her dark hair was short, shaved close to her head around the sides and her bangs just over her golden eyes. Those eyes had looked at him hours earlier at the bar, they stung as Sokka stared back.

“So, this is the grunge rat that was bothering you, brother?” The third girl said, the intention behind her words were stronger than Zuko must have expected. His head twisted to look at his sister. “Don’t worry Zuzu, he’ll know better next time not to talk to you like that.” 

The sickly sweet tone she held brought on Sokkas flight or fight reflex, he wanted to just finish loading Toph’s set into the van and go home to get high. He did not want to deal with the family of the guy he turned down. 

“Hey, look, I didn’t mean to come off as an ass” 

(He did.)

“Just not into guys…” 

(He is.)

“No. You can look.” She cut him off of his go to apology. “You and your little indie shit haircut can’t talk your way out of how big of an asshole you are or how fucking rude you were to my brother.”

The shorter girl in the group quickly got in front of Zuko's sister, her braid tossed to the side and her hands firmly around the other girl's arms. 

“Azula, we have to tune the guitars, leave him be for now. I think he gets it.” 

“I don’t care if he ‘gets it’,Ty Lee, I want him to apologize!” Azula, whispered to the one in pink, Ty Lee. 

“Azula.” Zuko’s quiet voice broke through the little space in between the group, “It’s fine. I just overstepped.”

Sokka knew that he didn’t, in any way overstep. He asked a question and Sokka responded like a dick. He may regret throwing the conversation at the bar away like that, but he hadn’t had the time to tell Katara. God, Katara is going to kick my ass…

“Mai, we can handle the drum set, go tune your guitar… Set starts in ten.” Zuko once again, barely spoke up enough for Sokka to hear him. His voice was gentle as he spoke to Mai, and his eyes hurt as he stared at Sokka’s. The gold clashed with the ice-blue on the darkened stage, with one last glance Sokka took the case carrying the last of Toph's kit to the back entrance. He walked on eggshells as he passed Mai tuning her bass with a deadly steadiness and a burning gaze onto Sokka’s back. 

________

He stepped towards the van, one of the back doors open and the musky smell of weed funneled out from it. 

“Took you long enough,dude.” Toph said, blowing a decent amount of smoke into Sokka's face as he pushed the case with the others. “We found some of your stash. Sorry, you got the fresh shit.” 

Aang's giggling from the front seat started a fit of laughter from Toph, Katara kept a straight face watching their two stoned friends make their way to the back of the van, sitting down in the small sitting area they made. Two small beanbags and a hand-me down futon laid out in between the instrument cases and the front passenger seats, the futon was usually covered with different paraphernalia, Toph’s bong sat haphazardly next to Sokka’s beaded pouch he had hidden under some books in his room. 

“It’s fine, you guys can use as much as you want, I have a meeting with Jet soon anyways.” Sokka sighed, untying his hair to run his fingers through it a few times, making sure it wasn't as knotted as he thought it was. “I think I’m gonna get a ride home from Suki?” 

“What do you mean?” Katara asked, taking a quick hit off the blunt Aang left in the ashtray up front, “You staying to watch the show?” 

She knew about his thing with Zuko, she does not know about how Sokka made the other guy so upset and told his terrifying sister about how huge of a dick he is. 

“So, about that…” Sokka started, “ I might have ruined that… And got his crazy sister to hate my guts.”

“Sokka…”

“But! But, I’m going to stay for their set and apologize to him after it. I don’t want her to kill me. Seemed like she could have.” 

Aang perked up from his slumped position, “You guys talking about Azula?”

Sokka cocked his head and looked at the short hair on his friend's head sticking up, “How do you know her?” 

“Oh, she used to skate with me and Toph a few years back.” Aang took a quick break to get his brain to catch up.“ Her friends were funny. And her brother was so… edgy. But in a good way? Like he never skated with us but he would write and just stay out with us for hours.”

“Zuko? The lead singer of our rival band?” 

Toph laughed, her long hair falling out of the intricate bun she puts it in before ever show and covering her eyes. “They are your rivals Sokka, we don’t hate them. I literally went to Mai’s birthday party last year.” 

Sokka huffed and made sure the gear was in place before lightly pushing Toph into one of the beanbags.  
“I’ll see you guys at home, I feel bad about it.” Sokka waved to Aang and threw a spare pick off the rug of the van at Katara, “Love ya! Drive safe!”

He shut the back door and watched as they drove down the street, the bright lights on the back of the car gave a red glow to the asphalt and left Sokka alone for the first time all day. He took a deep breath, still smelling the aftermath of what Toph had smoked and the sharp scent of gasoline. The bar door was shut but the loud bass rift could be heard from the next block, Sokka could imagine the piercing glare of Mai as he listened to the last section of the song. He finally walked inside, using the employee door that led him straight to the bar. He noticed how much louder the Fire Flakes set was once he stood next to Suki, her head bobbing to the beat of the song that blared through the club's speakers. 

Sokka looked to the stage to see Zuko, changed from his black dress shirt into a torn, clearly hand painted, shirt with a rugged Fire Flakes logo on it. His hair was pulled into a top knot and barely hanging on to the tie, his dark hair fell around his face as he sang. The almost clashing guitar riff rang out through the large crowd, a slight laugh came out from the speakers and echoed around the small venue. The song came to a close and the guitarist took a sip of her water while Zuko fixed his hair and addressed the crowd. 

“Do you guys mind if we slow it down for a song?” His voice sounded even deeper as he spoke. “I think this next one might be familiar…” He smiled as he turned to the left side of the stage and grabbed the dark red acoustic guitar. Zuko sat down at the front of the stage with his mic propped as close as he could in his new position. The first chords were played so soft only the vibrations of the speakers were felt. Zuko started singing, keeping his focus on the movement of his fingers, the familiar song allowed some people in the crowd to sing with him. Sokka wished he could hear just Zuko’s voice. 

The time for sleep is now  
But it’s nothing to cry about  
‘Cause we’ll hold each other soon in the blackest of rooms

If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied  
And illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs  
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark

Once the final chorus played out the crowd clapped and Zuko returned to his regular guitar, as soon as he was situated a heavy bassline shook the grimy floors and snapped Sokka out of the trance he was in watching the other man play. He had heard him sing before but this was the first time he wasn’t angry. The first time he didn’t see the fire in Zuko’s playing or the pain in his voice. Sokka had never heard him sing like that. Without Mai’s strong rootnotes or Azula's constant complicated riffs, and none of Ty Lee’s surprisingly aggressive playing. 

The rest of the set was the usual angsty bunch of songs that Zuko sang with pride, he let his hair down about half way through the last song and Sokka couldn’t take his eyes off him.

Suki noticed her friend’s staring as soon as he stood next to her, his gaze fixed on the lead. She had been trying to clean up the spilled beer off the bar but the presence of Sokka's obvious attraction forced her out of the cleaning funk. 

“Are you gonna talk to him?” She questioned. Raising one of her eyebrows as Sokka stared dumbfounded. 

“I don’t think I can anymore.” He said, his blue eyes glazed over. “I should have taken his offer earlier…”

Suki wanted to laugh but she knew Sokka, that would only make him feel worse about his fuck up. 

“Even if you did act like an asshat maybe you could, I don’t know? Apologize?”

Sokka groaned. His head thrown back slightly and his loose hair falling around his neck. “What if he hates me? Then I’ll feel even worse!”

“You won’t know unless you ask him.” She smiled sweetly at him. His blue eyes rolled sarcastically. 

Sokka knew he had to apologize, properly this time. Not one of his standard ones he gives to creepy older guys at the bar. He gave Suki a quick thumbs up before he walked backstage. Most people have left, leaving the venue an empty, sticky area for Sokka to roam through, quickly getting to the stage. He spotted Mai, placing the almost intimidatingly red bass into its case, she looked up just in time to catch Sokka looking around.

“He went out back. Not like you would need to know.” 

Sokka’s eyes widened at the tone of her voice, he nodded and gave a thin lipped smile before speed walking towards the door.

Zuko was sitting on the small milk crate that had been there for years, a multicolored bowl hung loose in his hand as he exhaled into the night. 

“Didn’t think you liked our ‘emo shit’.” He spoke quiet, like always.

Sokka swallowed nervously before pulling out the joint he snagged from Toph,he lit it quickly and took a quick drag from it. 

“I owe you an apology.” He took another small puff, “And a thank you.”

Zuko’s face twisted in confusion, his good eye looked up towards Sokka.

“Well, I feel like your sister would have beat my ass if you hadn't stepped in and lied for me.” Sokka chuckled, “ I can honestly say I was expecting her to anyways.”

A breathy laugh caught Sokka off guard, Zuko had laughed at him, even if just for a second, it felt nice to hear him laugh again.

“I can honestly say I had to talk her out of it three times.” Zuko went to light his bowl again only to have his lighter just fizzle the few times he struck it. “Fuck.”

“Here” Sokka motioned for him to bring his head closer, he quickly lit his lighter and held it over Zuko's bowl, hearing the sizzle of him breathing in and seeing the embers dance through the bud packed in. 

“Thanks.” Zuko smiled as he took another hit of the still burning material. “You really got me earlier.” 

“What do you mean?”

Zuko’s flushed face looked up at Sokka, his golden eyes surrounded by the angry red of veins. His pupil took up almost his whole iris, leaving only a sliver of the bright color. 

“Fucking Zumo.” He laughed. “It was funny until I knew you weren't joking, then it just kinda stung. I’ve seen like six of your shows and I’ve seen you at ours. Thought we could be friends? But I was just being naive, my dad always told me I was.” His voice cracked as he lifted his bowl to his lips again, breathing in the smoke and holding it in his chest for a few seconds. Sokka waited until he had completely exhaled to say anything, his joint nothing more than a stub on the street and his fraying shirt now the most interesting thing all of a sudden. 

“I’m sorry, for earlier at the bar.” Sokka whispered, “I was just trying to be a dick, I didn’t really want to actually get to know you. I’ve seen you around and you just seem so… cool. At your shows you always have this energy with you and I knew that if I talked to you we would get along.”

“Why would that worry you? That we would make good friends?” 

Sokka scoffed, looking down at his scuffed shoes, “ I just wanted to pretend your an asshole so I would have a good excuse to not like you,”

“I feel like we should hang out, maybe.” 

“We are hanging out.” Sokka smiled at the shorter man, “Smoking, just played some good music, now we are just enjoying the night.” 

Zuko shook the ashes out of his bowl and placed it back into the small backpack next to him, he stood up and wiped the dirt off his jeans. He took another second to take out his phone and unlock it. 

“Gimme your number. And your name. Please.” He whispered, standing merley a foot away from Sokka. 

He took the phone and quickly put his number in and texting himself a simple smiley face before giving it back to Zuko. Who looked at the smiley face Sokka had sent. 

“Why the hell did you make it like that?”

“With the nose? That’s the best way of making ’em.”

**Author's Note:**

> hopefully this wasn’t too bad! i will try to post more if i get any funky ideas but... knowing me i’ll probably have a few chapters if these dummies getting high and falling in love.


End file.
